March Favourites

Look at me putting up a favourties post in the actual month its from! You swear there was an air of organisation about the place. This month I've been using and loving much of what I talked about in my last monthly favourties post, so theres only a few beauty related things to get through today. March is now lovely and bright with the clocks gone forward an hour so that makes me happy. Although its still so feckin' cold out, I'm a right aul one giving out about having to put the heat on still. 

This was the month of lots of Instagram postings (if your not a follower I'd suggest having a look at me over here and maybe sticking around!). I bought lots of make up, clothes and took many many pictures of my cats. Basically the perfect month! Blogger friend Emma from Mastering Your Makeup did her first Ziaja event and it was an uber proud moment, oh isn't she just fab! You have to take a look at her blog and tell her hello! Other then that, Netflix has been binged watched so much too. Books will win in April, fingers crossed.

Blousey banana shampoo from Lush is now all used up and gone to the empties pile, but I wanted to just mention how much I've enjoyed using it this past month. It always left me with soft hair and it smells so great. Nothing surprisingly like the scent of bananas thank goodness, as I'm not a fan! I got it on sale at Christmas and doubt I'll be picking it up as its over €20 normally. But if your in the market for a lovely shampoo and don't mind it being spendy, then try out that one!

 As I mentioned in my last post this month I ran out of all of my make up removing skincare at the same time and had a day or two of panic. Since then I've been seriously stocking up so that doesn't happen again any time soon. And one of the things I found when I the hunt for a remover was a mini No7 cleansing lotion for normal/dry skin. It feels utterly amazing and I was going to pick up a full size even though I have combination skin. I said this to my sister on skype one night and she pulled out her bottle that was half used and said I could have the rest. Happy days! I know I'll be picking up my own bottle though, its just lovely. Might do a review of it to rave some more!

A total bargain this month was Revlons colour burst in 001 Honey Douce. This was reduced to €2.50 one day in Boots so I nabbed it. Its the most lovely shade that isn't too dark on the lips and I've done nothing but slather it all over my face every chance I get. These are normally a ridiculous €11 but after trying them out, I think I'd actually fork out the money for more of them. Not sure whats come over me! Do have a swatch of them if you've not already tried them out by now. So worth it.

I wont natter on too much about Fuschia and their amazingly beautiful eye shadows too much, but I did do a full review of a lot of them along with a few blushers over here. These four are my most used this month and I'm loving the bright orange especially. I want, no wait - need more of them! They are so pigmented, easy to apply, buttery and have next to no fall out. Nothing makes me more happy then these beauts.

In non beauty things, Once Upon A Time is my show of the month. I've watched it on and off over the past few months, but really got back into it since February. I even have gone so far as to find more up to date episodes of it online instead of waiting for the Irish Netflix to catch up. Season 4 still has caption Hook and I swear I watch it half the time just to drool at him. I'd also highly recommend Peaky Blinders on Netflix. My future husband Cillian Murphy is in it. Thats all you need to know. 

Keeping on Netflix for a second, they don't have Avengers anymore so I bought myself the dvd and I couldn't be happier. Its my go to film when I'm happy or sad (is that weird?) and I'd say I've watched it 30+ times by now. Best film ever! I picked up a cute little SheHulk statue the week, which you can see over on my Instagram. She is the bomb! 

Have you any non beauty faves this month?

Boots Haul (Soap&Glory Inspired)

Back at Christmas I got a lovely Soap&Glory set - the one that was the big boxes on special offer one of the weeks? And inside it had a voucher for €4 off once you spent over €15, which is no bother to someone like myself who is a big fan of the brand and going into Boots to spend in general! The voucher was expiring on April 1st so I couldn't let it go as it was a decent (enabling) amount of money off. Boots had a lot of stuff on offer and 3 for 2 on nearly all their make up too, so I'm going to give their normal prices first and then their on offer price. Just so you know what they currently are verses what they are now!

As you can see above I got myself a lovely big bottle of Smoothie Star Body Milk (€13.99) as I love their almond scents the most and really wanted something that I hadn't tried from the range before. I also got a repurchase of Hand Maid Hand Sanitizer (€3.49) as I'd almost run out of the one I keep in my hand bag. For years I never got why people raved about it, but now that I've become more almost overly aware of making sure my hands are clean, I use these a lot when I'm out for the day. 

I ran out of all my makeup removing skincare at the same time so I've been stocking up on it a lot. I always need backups of my backups! Garniers regular eye make up remover (€2.99) always keeps me happy so I picked up one. I find it never stings my eyeballs and gets rid of heavy eyeliner and mascara without having to rub the eyelids off myself. 

I also picked up some Boots own brand cleansing milk (€3.79 - €1.90) and a toner (€3.79 - €1.90) that both have aloe vera in them for sensitive skin. I got some face wipes from the same range (€3.99 - €1.99). I never use face wipes but their handy for taking off lipstick to eat or wiping away make up from the back of your hand. I've not used this range before as far as I can remember, or if I have they weren't in as nice looking packaging. I'll report back how they are on my skin once I get around to trying them out. 

This is the essentials pile of bits. Who doesn't need a few good razors (€6.99) to keep away the crazy forest like legs! I have been hairing (- see what I did there!?) my way through nail varnish remover recently as I've been redoing my nails loads, so I got a bottle of Cutex (€2.25). I think this is one of the best brands on the market as they take way less time to totally get rid of the product then other ones I've used. I can't speak much for them being nail strengthening or whatever claims they have but there good at the physical getting rid of bit.

Also got some Nivea rolls ons that were 2 for €4, normally €2.99 each. I'm a big fan of roll ons in recent times as they don't clog up air if you want to freshen up before bed and they also don't effect my asthma. Saying that, I picked up my favourite Impulse (€2.79 - €1.39) too as I'm a fan of having a body spray in my handbag if I'm out and about.  

Lastly I couldn't go into Boots and not pick up at least a few make up bits! I was on a mission for a cheap eyeliner as I had only earlier lost my own to my sisters clutch in the car. I got a Collection one (€2.49) in black that does the job grand. 

I was on the hunt for a Barry M (€5.99) light blue nail varnish after I saw it on Instagram. I think this is called Green Apple but I could be wrong! I've misplaced my bottle so I can't double check, but no doubt I'll put it up on Instagram or twitter soon enough!  

And I've saved the best for last. Just look at that Sleek lipstick!! (€5.99) its in the shade Mystic and it was made for me. I haven't even swatched it yet as I wanted to take photos of it in perfect condition for this post. Man I'm so restrained! It is just beautiful and even before I try it I want everyone to have it. It just makes me happy.

Well thats all of it! I actually saved €16 and got triple points on my Boots card too so I'm extra delighted! At the til I came across the most lovely lady called Cathy who recommend products to me (which I picked up!) and talked about the things I was buying. She gave me some baby wipes as I had a lot of swatches on my hand and gave me loads of brilliant vouchers for things in the shop (and some handy tips too!). I've come across some lovely staff in the Boots at Liffey Valley in the past, but this lady went above and beyond. Just had to give her a mention, she was so friendly and I left the shop feeling extra happy after such a nice chat.

Easter At Lush

Why I'm not employed by Lush at this stage is beyond me. Seriously lads, the amount I blog and natter on about this shop, you'd swear I've sent up camp outside their door! - But if anyone is willing to make that happen, I'm totally up for that. I was in the Scouts for years I'll have you know!

Lush always brings out some limited edition things for most of the special days of the year. Most recently it was their mothers day collection, but now we have the Easter things. And I'm going to admit, not much in this years collection jumped out at me. Yes they have cute white rabbit bath bombs and different egg shaped delights, but when I looked at the prices, sizes and smells I wasn't blown over. I guess I'm getting picky now a days! But what I did come away with is below, so you know its going to be good uns'.

First it pot o' gold. Not normally a lover of the shower jellies but this caught my eye and when I had a sniff I knew it was coming home. A slight Partricks Day vibe to it, but none the less it smells of really sweet caramel and oh so lovelyness. (thats a word now. Just fyi.) Filled with orange peel, pineapple juice, vanilla extract and sweet orange oil to name a few, it makes your skin wake up and want to sing after you use it. I don't think this is one I'll use every morning as it is so sweet I know I'll go off it quickly, but this will be a by-weekly treat. You can use shower jellies in your hair and the bath too, so thats what I plan on doing with it next. It's gorgeous to display and at €4.50 its actually quite the bargain. 

Next is the bunch of carrots. Lush stocked this last year and I regretted not picking them up so I specifically went into Lush to pick them up. They are a reusable bubble bar - much like the fairy wand that Lush stock at Christmas. They don't have many ingredients from looking at the site, but they do have lemon, buchu and bergamont oil that make them smell great. I've yet to try them out, but I'm really looking forward to it. At €7.50 they are a little pricey but thinking about how many uses I'm going to get out of the three of them, its worth it.

Lastly is the mother superior thats actually from the mothers day collection. I picked up one of these for myself and one for the mammy when I was in. They look so funny and are quite big so I know that I'll be getting at least three baths from mine. The scent reminds me a little of my favourite bath product from Lush thats also a bubble bar, Dorthy. Packed with orange blossom, jasmine and lemon oil, its bound to make the skin feel soft and smell lovely. I've seen loads of positive reviews on it so I can't wait to try it out and at €4.75 it was an average bubble bar price.

Max Factor: Masterpiece Glamour Extensions 3in1 Volumising Mascara

The people over at Max Factor need to take a well deserved break if you ask me. They have been on fire over the past few months bringing out amazing product after amazing product. (Perfect example being their new baked blushes over here. Oh my good lord!) Now I'm not a massive fan of mascara, I prefer lipstick and eye shadow buying then any other products, but this was a pleasant surprise when I first used their *Masterpiece Glamour Extensions 3in1 Mascara .

Claiming to volumise, extend and intensify, I find that all make up will market that they can almost achieve world peace. But what did this mascara actually do for me? Well for one, it properly gets onto the root of my lashes without causing a mess. The wand is shorter then a lot of mascaras (I measured a few from my collection against it just to make sure!) and so is the lovely thin bristle part. So many mascara on the market are thick wands that don't distribute product evenly and make it almost impossible to get right the the lash root without smudging product onto your lids. This one is makes applying product easy and without having to clean up after. I never normally manage to get mascara onto my lashes closet to the bridge of my nose, but with this I noticed immediately how easy it was. And the same goes for my lower lashes, theres no need for clean up or having to put extra concealer on to cover darkness when product goes everywhere.

Apart from easy application, I liked how the wand separated my lashes and the formula itself never clumped. - I've rarely ever found a non clumping formula. My beloved holy grail Benefit They're Real clumps all over the place! It also drys quickly but without getting crispy lashes. Drying quickly is a major plus for those of us who always accidentally touch near our eyes or wear glasses. No smudging or strokes of black eyelashes on our lenses! However I don't agree with Max Factors claim of their 'formula contains wax particles, that act as spacers between lashes to make them appear fuller'. I think this is the perfect product for a daytime look, but I've never found it to give a volumising or lengthening 'wow' factor. This is just a nice mascara that does the job, while being super easy to use, doesn't clump, go all over the place and drys quickly.

For those of you who like bigger and fuller looking lashes, I would recommend applying eyeliner to the water line and and above the lash line. You can also apply a few layers of this mascara, but after coat three I've noticed it will begin to clump. For everyday wear or even just for the lower lashes, I'd definitely recommend this and at €12.99 its not crazy money. Also Boots has the aul 3for2 offer on at the moment, so you could easily pick this up along with a few other bits if you felt the urge!

*I did not pay for this item, it was a PR gift.  Please see my disclaimer here.

Sexual Sunday: Opinions On Bestiality

If you visit this part of the internet regularly, you'll know on Sundays I post a review on a sex shop in Dublin or something else sex related. Not every Sunday mind you, sometimes life takes over or I'm just on hell of a bad blogger - but you forgive me and come back for more. Don't lie! 

This week I want to tackle a seriously taboo sexual topic; Bestiality. Defined as a sexual act between an animal and a human, its frowned upon and illegal in a lot of counties (Ireland included). Before you all quickly exit the page and run for the hills, hear me out. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I pride myself on trying never to judge. But as I listened to the opinions of someone I was interviewing for one of my reviews on sex shops, I could barely hold my tongue. He spoke of bestiality in a positive light that scared me. I'm not for one second here to bash the guy, nor am I suggesting you do. But the aftertaste of that conversation has stayed with me too long and here seems the perfect place to talk about it. After all, legal or not, all sex should be talked about and people should have a full knowledge of it all. (I'm making reference to the absurd new porn laws in the UK that I wrote about over here.)

Personally I 100% don't agree with bestiality. It all boils down to the fact that an animal can not give consent to the act, much like a child, vulnerable adults and so on. However in Japan, Mexico, Sweden, Thailand, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Cambodia and several states in the US to name a few, it is legal. Presumably mostly due to the fact that its seen as uncommon or unimportant. I personally feel that there should be an across board ban on this kind of sexual act and also porn. Now thats a rare sentence for me to utter. But as an advocate of safe sex and consent I can't abide the thought of this. Not to mention the small matter that this is the definition of animal cruelty. 

Now some will argue that the sexual preference to dress as an animal (such as pony play, puppy play, ect) could be concerned the same thing or something that should be looked down on, but I disagree. Its totally different to role play with consenting adults. Again the main theme here, consent. I'm sure that there will be those who disagree with me on both sides, or indeed for calling out this guy in a way. But its my own opinion and I wanted to share it. I don't think its ok to tolerate sex with minors, sex with animals, scat play and non consenting sex - just to list a few things. 

But this is just one opinion, what do you think about bestiality? Do you think it should become illegal in places it currently isn't, or do you think that theres no harm in it and it should become legal everywhere. 

And for my adoring religious fans who I just know are going to have a field day with this particular post, let me beat you to it. Possibly the one and only time I will quote from the fairytale book. (And no one get their knickers in a twist that I've suddenly got religious, I googled it.) Leviticus states that it is wrong to perform a sexual act with an animal, for both men and women.

''And if a man lie with a beast, he shall surely be put to death: and ye shall slay the beast.''

''And if a woman approach unto any beast, and lie down thereto, thou shalt kill the woman, and the beast: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.''

Well, isn't that just something.

Saphir Perfumes

Saphir is a totally new brand to me and I'm sure to many of you out there. This Spanish company has recently made its way to Ireland after spending 50 years in the business of making all things nice smelling, but at a next to nothing price. Saphirs specialty is modeling 100% of their perfumes on designer scents with almost all the same ingredients. Personally, I think thats kind of deadly but I wasn't sold until I actually tried out some of the perfumes myself for a few weeks.

I'm not big on designer brand perfumes, I think a lot of them just aren't worth the hype or money, but the chance to have some of them for €7.99 is something not to pass up on. The scents that I was given to try out from the womens range was Black Femme (Armani Code by Giorgio Armani), Rich Woman (Lady Million by Paco Robanne) and Vida de Saphir (Vie Est Belle by Lancome). And from the mens range I had Armonia Black ((Armani Code by Giorgio Armani). All of these copies do actually smell nearly exactly like the real thing - I went on an expedition in Boots for a proper sniff of everything.

Out of the three womens fragrances Black Femme has to be my favourite, but I do change my mind every few days. And lets be honest, at €7.99 I can easily decide to wear a scent for only a week and never again. I'd really love to pick up a few more of these as there are 48 womens and 28 mens perfumes to choose from. Also would you ever look at how gorgeous those bottles are? I've been carrying at least one around in my bag daily as they are such a super handy size (25ml) but I do get a pang of guilt as they should be sitting displayed with pride of place on my book case instead.

Surprisingly enough though, when I first got my package in the post it was the mens Armonia Black that I reached for. I know I'm not the manliest of ladies *looks pointedly at boobs and further down* but this was just gorgeous. I wore it a lot and found myself pulling it out of my handbag when friends were about to ask them what they thought of it. I'm not sure if I like it because it smells nice and I want to wear it, or that it smells like an attractive guy and therefore want to smell it around me a lot. - And before you say it, any guy who smells good is automatically more attractive, as is the well known law of attractiveness. Or so I like to tell myself. (In case anyone cares, I'm tucked up in bed writing this and taking frequent pauses to have another sniff of it. Man, this stuff is good!)

So to summarise, they look gorgeous, they smell great and the price is stupidly brilliant. I'm off to spray any guy (or girl) who comes into the house with lovely smelling attractive man perfume. Find stocklists here, ah go on you will!

 *I did not pay for this item, it was a PR gift.  Please see my disclaimer here.

The Body Shop: New Fuji Green Tea Collection

The newest release from The Body Shop is the *Fuji green tea collection. This is presented as a green tea ceremony of reviving the body and detoxing the mind by using the antioxidant qualities of the green tea. I'm a big fan of the idea, everyone needs a little detox with the stress of daily life. There are nine new products in this range and two new gift sets. I'll leave the full price list at the end of the post. I really like the entire presentation of this range, down to the cute added infuser thats below.

Out of the lovely things I was given to try from the range, I really like the 100ml eau de cologne for €19.95 the most. As with all of the Fuji green tea products, it smells light, fresh and has a slight citrus scent to it. Its easy to wear if your a lover of more floral sweet smelling perfumes, without being an overpowering citrus smell. The only down side to this is that its of course not a perfume but more of a body spray so the scent doesn't linger too long. If they brought this out as a perfume, I would definitely buy it. This is going to be the perfect thing for the summer months as its fresh and gives a sense of cooling and calming. 

''Awaken and revive the senses with the sophisticated aroma of our citrus-fresh scent of Fuji Green Tea Eau de Cologne. It’s the perfect blend of green tea, bergamot, lemon and mandarin top notes with a floral heart of camellia, jasmine and violet. Refreshingly light and crisp, it’s a classic scent for daytime sophistication.''

The next thing is the body scrub. This is a gel like product with little light and dark green scrubby bits (always getting technical, me). I think I'm bias when I say that this didn't do much for me, as I'm a fan of the more harsh and extra scrubby exfoliants. I found it to be too much like a shower gel and not enough like a scrub. The beads were too few and far between for my liking and I found that my skin wasn't as polished or scrubbed as I would have liked. I don't think the gel like texture helped the beads to grip my skin either and even when I used exfoliating gloves I didn't find much difference. This would be perfect however for those who like a much  more gentle body scrub. 

Lastly is the bath tea for €19.95 in a really lovely tin and an optional bath infuser thats €6.50. This smells really lovely and the infuser is a great novelty to have in the bath with you - along with it being a necessity if you don't fancy scrubbing bits of black stuff from the bath for 10 minutes after. Although I feel that this is the main product that everything else is based around as it it the thing you 'detox' your body in, I didn't find it amazing for a massive €20. I think that money could be better spent on other things from this collection. However this would be a beautiful gift for someone who loves their baths as there isn't anything else like this on the market at the moment.  

Overall I don't think this is one of The Body Shops most amazing ranges when compared to their other products. However I am a big fan of the Fuji scent, so I will be repurchasing the eau de cologne once it runs out and I think I'll be trying out the body wash as I'd love to have the scent in the shower with me. Have a sniff of this range if your passing a shop and tell me what you think of it!

• Exfoliating soap - 100g €7.50
• Body Butter - 200ml €18.95
• Body Scrub - 200ml €18.95
• Body Sorbet - 200ml €13.50
• Body Lotion - 250ml €13.50
•  Body Wash - 250ml €8.95
• Eau de Cologne - 100ml €19.95
• Bath Tea - 300g €19.95
• Bath Infuser - €6.50

 *I did not pay for this item, it was a PR gift.  Please see my disclaimer here.